Jam Exchange

I don't do jam. I used to at Nezinscot farm but there we had all of these cool jamming tools which I think make the job so much easier. Good jam though is hard to come by. I saw this recently and thought someone out there might be interested.

Steph chows Jam Exchange

I was tempted to give it a try but if you look at the deadlines that is wedding time. I would be setting myself up for failure. If you try it though I would love to hear how it goes. I think it is a great idea.

Bread salad

Thoughts on the week thus far...

1. I wish the work days would be 3 and the weekend days be 4.

2. I am torn on whether I am enjoying the heat or hating it.

3. Horribly scared to see a full month electricity bill.

4. Realized who needs a TV schedule when there is OnDemand.

5. Happy and Annoyed I have to go to Maine this weekend.

6. Wish I could buy a new dress for the wedding this weekend.

7. Wish it was the groom's job to plan the wedding - or at least execute the wedding plans.

8. Having my dress fit last weekend does not mean I am no longer stressed about it fitting in two weeks or even four weeks.


I could go on for a while but I don't think or want anyone to know all of the thoughts circulating in my head. I will go on to tell you about this divine thing I created the other day.


A few months ago I had a side dish of bread salad. I forget what the main dish was but that was why I ordered the meal. I had no idea what a bread salad was. Since then I have heard it mentioned a few times but never till this week did I ever contemplate making it. I have a good loaf of bread that I am afraid will go bad. I would cry to throw away homemade bread so one of the uses I came up with is this.



Bread Salad
Ingredients:
1 pint grape tomatoes - diced, and chunked
1 cucumber - diced
1/2 cup diced fresh mozzarella
10 leaves of basil
4 slices of good bread - cubed
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
garlic salt
pepper


1. Put cubed bread in bowl with oil, garlic salt, and pepper. Toss with spoon till bread is coated with oil.


2. Spread bread on cookie sheet. Bake on 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. I use a toaster oven. You can also use the broil setting. You just want the bread slightly toasted.


3. In previously used bowl add all remaining ingredients.


4. Add warm bread and toss into rest of the ingredients.


5. Combine and eat.



Basically you can take any salad and throw in these croutons for a bit of an extra zing. It really becomes a bread salad when the bread substitutes the lettuce leaves.

New cookbook, new recipe

I got this cookbook right before we moved. It was packed up and not looked at again till all of the boxes were unpacked. She write a blog which I had not heard of till I got the cookbook. She lives in Texas and is very witty. It is quite entertaining to read about her life on the ranch.

She also cooks and takes amazing photographs. I love cookbooks with pretty photos. And this one sure does have a lot of photos. This weekend for Sunday dinner I decided to try something new.

Pasta with Clam sauce



The dish was so simple and so delicious. I planned to make enough to have for lunch the next day but we ate it all the first night. I am not going to write out the recipe because you should go out and get The Pioneer Woman Cookbook for yourself. The recipe is rich and decadent. I even left out the cream. Jordan was impressed that I actually used the right amount of butter. I tend to cut that big time. And I probably will the next time I make it but it will still be very flavorful.

Everything just kind of melts in your mouth. There was lots of garlic, always a good thing in my book. And the cheese adds a creaminess to the sauce. Hence why it was so delicious even without using cream in the sauce. The whole thing took about 15 minutes from start to finish. There was no need to have it be a Sunday dinner.

Look at that yummy goodness!

The Pioneer Woman blog

Best summer breakfast

I love this in the summer.

The breakfast of champions or maybe not because it is Cheerios and not Wheaties but still its delicious. There is something about fresh blueberries and the taste of Cheerios that just goes so nicely together.

On Sunday morning Jordan and I went blueberry picking. We have this great orchard dangerously close to the new apartment. I mean like less than a mile down the road, I swear you can smell the bakery from the door close. They have a mini grocery store, yummy bakery and lots and lots of land for fruits and veggies to grow.

To find out more see Bishop's Orchard

I cannot wait for apple season to come around!

Sweet Potato Fries

Did I really have this for dinner a week ago? That's right. I told you my week passed me by. This was probably the last good meal I have had. Between the company meeting, group meals, and lots of appointments here and there I don't really remember the last time Jordan and I were able to cook. Even breakfasts have been a hurried rush and I am ashamed to admit a cold bagel with cream cheese not just once but twice. I cringe as I type this. I really try not to eat food just to eat it. It has to be worth those calories. A cold bagel is not worth any calories.

I find it quite odd that I ate all of this awful food right before my first dress fitting. I was a nervous ball of nerves for most of the week. I had some weird expectation that the dress was either going to fall off of me or have a foot gap in the back and wouldn't zip. Neither happened thank goodness.

Anyway, back to the food. I love sweet potatoes. I have for a while and once upon a time it was a very special treat to find sweet potato fries in restaurants. Now it is much more common. Jordan and I have roasted potatoes quite often cause Jordan is definitely a meat and POTATOES kind of guy. Making sweet potato fries is a nice compromise for the two of us.

It is really simple. We do one potato per person. You can dice and slice them any which way you prefer. The ones below are thick steak fries.


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put cut potato pieces in bowl and drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence to taste. Toss with hands till completely covered.

Lay a single layer on cookie sheet. Put in oven and bake for 15 minutes. Take out cookie sheet and flip each fry. Bake for 10 minutes more. The flipping will ensure nice crispy fries on both sides. They are so good!

Tonight's dinner is a new recipe and hopefully it will shape up to be another good Sunday night dinner.

Where did the week go?

Seriously, how is it Thursday already? This week was the annual summer company meeting. Basically everyone comes together for some fun filled days. And let me tell you the days are long. The food was not so hot, at least not blog-worthy. Today marked it's end. I will pick back up on more timely blogs. Stay tuned!

Pretty Connecticut

Jordan found this cute little park on the water. He found it in the Connecticut state fishing guide or manual thingy they give to all people who register for a fishing license. Getting a fishing license was top priority in Jordan's book.

Apparently Connecticut catalogues all ponds, lakes, etc. across the state. You can browse by fish type, location and lots of many other great things you would want to know about fish. I don't fish so I don't know. I also don't really care but this is one topic that Jordan talks about an awful lot. you would think I would have learned some things here or there. I pay more attention when he talks about cooking the fish. But I do know the resources available in Connecticut are way better than in NY.

This little park is about a 10 minute ride from our apartment. There are picnic tables and a grassy area as well as marshes. I fully plan to come back with a nice book and food for an afternoon get away.

The rocks reminded me of Maine. And I love the saltwater smell. It was so peaceful here at dusk.

Oh what a weekend! Halibut dinner

Last week was just one of those weeks. Every time I finished some project or to-do I found myself with 10 more. Jordan and I were separated all week which always complicates things and throws me off of my groove. All though the physical aspects of the move were successful this week seems to have all of the ramifications of the move explode.

Our initial lease had the wrong apartment listed, so after changing mailing addresses, stopping utilities and starting new ones we realized it was wrong. So we did everything again. Let me tell you, this is no easy task. Hold music is not my friend and does not make me happy or patient. Luckily Jordan and I split these tasks fairly evenly - just enough to annoy us both. Last week however came the first week of bills, etc. for the new apartment. One bills are never fun and two, some of which still had the WRONG address. Not really wanting to deal with this our dining table just got piled with papers.

After a really really really long Friday, Saturday rolled around (at 2am Jordan and I were finally reunited). It was a bit of a slow morning but eventually we were able to be productive again. Things got organized, pictures got hung, and we turned down the hot water heat - Our 13 day bill for electricity was absolutely frightening.

When dinner rolled around the sleepiness hit us again. 2 am is not a time which I am frequently awake for and I hope I don't see it again in the near future. Anyway, we both had not had the best meals for the whole week so I wanted dinner to be special and homemade. Being on the shoreline means lots of fresh fish markets. I went to a local one and found so very pretty halibut. I don't think halibut is local but all the same that is what I picked up. Jordan sauteed it with a little salt and pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice.

I made a salad with some tomatoes and mozzarella. I have been using my basil plant and adding a few whole leaves to all of my salads. It is amazingly good and I love it! Dinner was a success and at 8pm I think it is time for bed!

PAY DAY

I don't know if I will ever get over being excited about Pay Day. You go to work day in and day out. If you like your job great, if you don't the days can get very long. Either way though I feel like you get an extra boost when the pay day comes around. Who doesn't like to get money? Hopefully you don't just have to dole it out again. That seems to be my life lately but nonetheless, I truly love pay day. It being pay day today I can say it is a pretty good day for me.

To make things even better, the heat has lessened a bit and the rains have finally hit the ground. The air is thick but at least you don't like you ran into a wall the moment you step outside. Since moving I have tried to get settled as soon as possible. The one sad this about moving this time of year is that you really cannot grow a thing. Plants should be planted by July. Last summer my deck garden was no good. First off the deck was made in a way that basically block all possible sunlight from hitting the plants. Then the dreaded BLITHE took over. My tomatoes were done for. I tried to re-plant a few things with no success. My garden was a failure.

After much debate this year, I decided to save all of my pots and the little bit of leftover soil and bring them along on the move. Yes, I refused to buy condiments for a month but squeezed in $1 pots and about 1 small pot worth of soil. Oh well, I kind of lost some of my logic there for a while.

Anyway, since moving I bought a pre-grown basil pot and started my own seedlings. I love fresh basil. I was hoping to try an get some tomatoes too. The problem was not tomatoes but the soil itself. For the life of me I have not been able to find a bag of garden soil smaller than 100 LBS anywhere. I do not want that much soil. The search will continue a few more weeks but till then I am very content with the basil.

Staycaction Weekend

So our little staycation included a trip to Ikea. I am not a huge fan of Ikea. I found of of the things a bit modern for my traditional taste. I do love to explore the gigantic stores though. I am fascinated but the tiny mock rooms. I love the organizational racks and closets. Although there were a few things here or there that I wanted to get I swore I would buy no household items till after the wedding.

However there is one thing at Ikea I can never pass up. Lucky for me it is not a household item either so getting it was not breaking my rule. I have a sweet tooth, there is no denying that. I have good willpower though. I can normally turn down any sweet. The one thing that has always been more soft spot though is a cinnamon bun. If it is warm and you can smell the gooey cinnamony goodness, I cannot help myself. I will lean down with elbows out ready to defend my tasty treat.

Thus let me introduce you to the Ikea cinnamon bun. They warm and yummy, strategically placed right by the door. There is no avoiding it, not that you would ever want to. Before we even enter the door I warned Jordan we would have to stop before leaving to have one. He had yet to experience the Ikea cinnamon bun and thought it somewhat silly to wait in the line for one. The line didn't help me either because while waiting I realized instead of getting two for two dollars I could get a six-pack for four dollars. What a deal?!? The six pack was bought and promptly opened to give me the instant gratification I needed from this bun.



Boy was it good. I swear these are some of the best cinnamon buns I have ever eaten. The one problem with the six-pack is that they print the calorie and nutrition information right on the front. I really have a problem knowing what I am consuming. I am fairly knowledgeable about health. I know how to eat healthy but there are sometimes when I just don't want to and when I don't want to I don't appreciate the in my face how unhealthy I am being information. I did get over it though and had 3 of these delicious buns over the course of the weekend. My one word of advice if you plan on going running do not eat the bun beforehand. It will stay with you FOREVER and does not make running a pleasant experience.

Why did I move you ask?

Sunday I was able to take some time and go to the beach with the book I am currently reading. Jordan was able to go play golf with a friend from work. It was our holiday weekend after moving over the 4th of July weekend, a staycation if you will. Since moving we have explored a state park, gone for an evening ride on through the marshes, and gotten ice cream. Although the apartment is still disorganized - the kitchen is so big with so many cabinets, I have forgotten where we initially put dishes, pots and pans, and utensils.

It's been great to be back though. I can honestly say that it feels like a ton of bricks have been lifted off of my shoulders. I cannot wait to post "finished" pictures.

The first of many

Before....

After....

An amazing transformation right? One of the best and most exciting parts of this past "moving" weekend was being able to open and finally use some of my bridal shower gifts. The move was so quickly after the bridal shower, and most of my gifts were fairly delicate I never unpacked them. Leave it to the people at Crate and Barrel to do a super duper packing job. I had to wait a few weeks before being able to really enjoy any of my gifts. This was a trying time to say the least. I have mentioned before and will mention again, I am not a very patient person.

Anyway, Jordan has told me many times that my spice situation was not up to par for him. He would have to lift up each jar of spice to see what it was...it would take just too long. It never really bothered me cause I always put the jars back in the same spot. It was like a game of memory. Although Jordan has a good memory he did not like this type of memory.

Thus the spice rack on the Registry. Look how lovely it turned out. I like to admire it every time I go into the kitchen!

These are the things that calm me these days as the many nuances of moving are still haunting me. Still no cable and Internet. Let's just say Comcast does not make my top 10 favorite list this week. They managed to bring out Jordan's ugly face by not showing up. I think I have only seem him this mad one other time. The kid does not like to go without his TV for very long. Thank goodness we got a new video game.

Nothing says summer like Strawberry Shortcake

You just cannot take a pretty picture than these brilliant strawberries. They are gorgeous. And they were quite tasty. After a quick trip to the grocery store for some essentials, I noticed these strawberries. We had some with the champagne as there is not much better of a combo than strawberries and champagne. But then what...I could eat strawberries all day long. Just plain ole strawberries and be perfectly happy.

Jordan on the other hand loves strawberry shortcake. And he certainly loves whipped cream, homemade or from a can it doesn't matter. He just wants the stuff. I don't like whipped cream unless it is homemade. However, I find homemade whipped cream annoying to make. You always have more than you need and it goes to waste because you just cannot keep the stuff and maintain the same consistency. Runny whipped cream is gross! There is no denying it.

Because it was such a long weekend, because it was so hot, and because Jordan worked so hard moving all of the heavy boxes and furniture, I thought it would be nice to get him something special. We found some Cabot whipped cream - at least it was all natural, in can form so it is Jordan friendly.

As you can see he completely covered the shortcake and strawberries, almost to the point where it looks like there is only whipped cream.

I had a more sensible serving with plain yogurt and some maple syrup. We each thoroughly enjoyed our treat.

My recipe for this one is somewhat lame. What can I say, I just moved. It is quick, cool, and delish!

Strawberry Shortcake

ingredients:

Store bought shortcake biscuits - I got mine homemade from a farm stand.

1 lb Strawberries

1 can whipped cream or yogurt

1. Clean and cut strawberries into bite size pieces.

2. Cut biscuit into 1/2 and put in bottom of bowl.

3. Top with strawberries.

4. Add whipped cream or yogurt.

5. Add additional strawberries if desired.

MOVED IN!

Time to celebrate!

We made it. So far nothing has been discovered broken. The new apartment once again is in disarray. But soon that will be fixed, hopefully. There is so much space I just don't know what to do with everything, or really the small amounts of furniture we have.

It was SO hot. I cannot even begin to describe the discomfort that has taken over the summer. You would think I would be used to it by now. I am not. It reached the 90 degree mark Sunday and Monday. Saturday thankfully was not as bad and not as humid. We had the truck loaded by 10am and cracked the A/C as soon as all of the furniture was moved in.

Thank you so much to both of our parents for the help. We could not have done it without you. However, it was decided all around though that the next move will require movers, professional movers that is. We are hanging up our hats to that process from now on.

My dad, being the great man he is, likes to celebrate such occasions. He went out and got us this yummy champagne to help in the celebrating process. I am never one to turn down a celebration. This was a new type for me from the Clicquot brand. I loved it! I think it might have been one of the best I have ever tasted. It could just be that I was really happy finally being in the new apartment.

We got to break out the new champagne flutes from my bridal shower. Thanks Molly! They really are stunning. The picture doesn't give them the true beauty they hold.

Happy 4th of July Weekend!

Saturday, after a long and busy day of loading the truck, driving to CT, and unloading the truck Jordan, myself and both sets of our parents chilled out at a place we have become unhealthily fond of - The USS Chowder Pot.



The food is not bad but it really is not all that great either. They serve massive portions to somewhat massive patrons. The specialize in seafood of course but also have a large prime rib cut. Note that Jordan has many issues trying to decide between the Fried Fisherman's platter and the Captain's (ie gigantic portion) of prime rib. He ended up with the fried seafood platter and I got the smaller verison of the prime rib. We both had healthy doses of leftovers.



Although I am sad I did not get to spend my holiday in Maine (I love Maine on the Fourth of July), I had a very good day, a very good weekend. Happy Moving Day! Happy 4th of July!

Lucky little girl

With all of the complaining I have been doing lately from wedding planning to packing to the weather I realized something...I am pretty lucky.



As much as I hate the NY apartment, it really isn't that bad a place. It has two bedrooms, can keep me cool (for the most part) in the summer and warm in the winter (so much so that I wore shorts inside most of the time), and was able to feed and clean me whenever I wanted.



Now I am off to live in an even better place. Able to do all of the above and have a washer and dryer of my very own. I am looking forward to not having to walk outside to retrieve my clean clothes. The kitchen will be even bigger and better than the last (even though we have to say good bye to the gas range). I will be about 1 mile from ocean again. I cannot believe how fortunate I am to have this opportunity.



By packing I see all of the wonderful objects I have obtained over time. Special purchases or gifts that come with a memory of friends, family, and events. We also came up with 6 bags to donate to Good Will.



The wedding planning has been filled with long lists of To-Dos that never seem to end. It is a lot of work. However I have a lot of help! And in the end it will be just how I envisioned it. I cannot wait to share the happiness with all of my friends and family. Every extra phone call and shopping trip will be well worth it.



I don't have much to complain about when you think about it this way.


HAPPY FRIDAY!